


Nothing Left to Lose

by Crowleys_Squirrel



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-04-25 06:10:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4949686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowleys_Squirrel/pseuds/Crowleys_Squirrel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone's lost someone to the outbreak, Rick Grimes and his group of survivors are no exception, but when two strangers join the group, tensions rise and relationships are formed and lost within the group. Will these strangers get cast out to fend for themselves, cause the group to crumble completely, or change it for the better? And what could these new people do for the strong but guarded redneck of the group, Daryl Dixon?</p>
<p>  **This story takes place during season three. All rights for the original storyline and characters go to the creators and everyone associated with twd, the only things that belong to me are my original ideas and characters.**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Guests

"There's walkers all over the yard and the Governor could be here any minute, what are we supposed to do?" Carol asked, looking towards Glenn.  
"We should take him out now. He won't be expecting it. You know where his apartment is. Let's go there and put a bullet in his head. We can end this tonight." Glenn said, walking towards Michonne.  
Hershel had walked up and knew this was a bad idea. "Look what happened last time he didn't know you were coming. Daryl got captured and you and Maggie were almost executed."  
"You can't stop me." Glenn said getting closer to the older man.  
"Rick would never allow this." He replied.  
"You really think he's in the right place to make that decision?" Glenn shot back.  
"T-Dog lost his life here. Lori too, is this place really worth any more killing? If he's really on his way we should be out of here by now-"  
"And go where?"  
"We lived on the road all winter."  
"That was when you had two legs and we didn't have a baby crying every four hours. We can't have that on the road."  
"We can't stay here."  
"We can't run." Glenn replied. Everyone knew it was true but no one would openly admit it. Maggie walked out and Glenn watched her go. "Alright, we'll stay put and defend this place. Carl." He said turning to the young boy crouched on the floor in front of a map of the prison drawn in chalk. They began formulating a plan while Rick was outside chasing a hallucination. They heard a truck pull up into the yard and everyone got ready for a fight. More walkers were released and Rick found himself smack dab in the middle of them. Luckily two familiar faces came out of the woods and helped him out of the situation. Daryl and Merle cleared their area of walkers and the three had to find a way around the Governor and his men. They headed back into the woods and headed for where the breach was on the other side of the prison. A few steps in, Merle turned to his brother and told him to keep going and that he'd meet them at the other side. Daryl tried to protest but Merle had already headed back towards the Woodbury army so he was forced to let him go. They made it just in time to find the rest of the group sneaking out the back way. They heard multiple gunshots and some yelling then one final gunshot then everything went silent. They wasted no time in leaving the prison because no one was prepared to have a war right now. They headed deep into the forest and Daryl kept trying to go back for Merle but Rick kept persuading him to follow them. "He made his choice." Was all he kept saying, Daryl knew he was right but still wanted to go back for his older brother. Even though Merle was a "simpleminded piece of shit," he was still his kin and he'd do just about anything for him. They eventually stopped and set up camp for the night. Daryl and Carol had first watch and all was well for most of the night then Judith began crying. Carl woke up and tried to quiet her to no avail and Daryl eventually got up and took her from the boy, she instantly quieted down and he lightly bounced her while making sure she hadn't attracted any walkers. The coast was clear as far as everyone could tell and Daryl continued to hold her while resuming his previous conversation with Carol. They were interrupted a few minutes later by a couple twigs snapping nearby. He passed the baby girl off to Carol and got Glenn to help him scope out the area. They split up, each of them searching on either side of camp. Daryl heard another twig snap and he aimed his bow at a dark shape moving two yards away. He creeped forward a bit and demanded they show themselves. Two figures emerged hands up to show they weren't a threat. Daryl asked for their names but the woman responded by asking if they could join them even just for the night while the teen-aged boy stayed silent. Daryl called for Glenn who grabbed Rick on the way over. Glenn kept an eye on the pair while Daryl and Rick discussed what to do with them. Rick finally turned to the woman and asked for their names and told them to plead their case.

"I'm Emily and this is Layton. We both have lost so much... I found him after he lost his entire family, even his baby brother, I tried to save him but the medicine didn't work and he turned. We just need a secure place to rest, we can leave first thing in the morning and I promise we won't try anything." The woman said.  
"Do either of you have any skills?" Rick asked.  
"I'm a certified nurse and he's an excellent hunter, he's especially good with snipers."  
"How well can you shoot?" Glenn asked Emily.  
"Not well, I do best with a blade." She replied. After noticing their unsure glances at each other, she quickly added, "I'm a quick learner though."  
Rick looked at Daryl who nodded and said they could be a good asset to the group. He agreed and led them to the center of camp, introducing them to everyone. Judith started to fuss in Carol's arms and Daryl took her back, putting down his bow in order to take her.  
"Hey, Little Ass-Kicker." He said looking down at her smiling. Emily watched him and Carol noticed her gaze.  
"He's really good with her, isn't he?" She said smiling.  
"Is her name really..." She couldn't seem to say it.  
"No, that's just the nickname he gave her."  
"How old is she? Is he the father? Where's her mother?"  
"Three weeks and no, Rick's her father and her mother died giving birth. Her brother Carl is extremely protective of her though."  
"Oh..."  
"You should probably get some rest, Daryl's going to keep watch so we have nothing to worry about." Carol said, guiding her to her tent.

Emily tried to sleep but was never graced with it. She sat up, stretched her legs and then climbed out of the tent. As she approached Daryl, she asked if she could sit with him. He responded with a nod.  
"So how'd you end up with a group like this?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, it's hard to find a decent group in this hell hole, how'd you luck out?"  
"Exactly that, luck. My brother, Merle, and I crossed paths with them in Atlanta and we decided to stick with them."  
"Where's your brother?"  
"He hung back when we were escaping our last camp, that's all I know."  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
"Don't be. He's fine, I just have to go get him."  
"Could I come with?"  
"You want me to take a girl who can't shoot even a pistol into a hostile environment? Yeah I don't think so."  
"Then teach me. I have both a gun and a bow in my bag and I've wanted to learn how to shoot either one but I never had the chance."  
"Go get the bow, I'll set something up." He said as they both got up and she went to retrieve her bow while he placed Judith into her little makeshift bed in Rick and Carl's tent. He reemerged to find her ready with arrows in one hand, the bow in the other. He led her over to a small clearing and set up a target on the tree trunk. He spent the next couple hours teaching her to shoot and to make every arrow count. The sun started to rise and like clockwork Judith started to cry. Daryl quickly ran into the tent to quiet her down, she did but she was still fussing.  
"Uh..." Daryl was trying to remember her name, but it wasn't coming to him.  
"Emily, but you can call me Em." She replied realizing what he was asking for. She quickly made a bottle of formula and handed it over. Judith instantly fell silent as she enjoyed her breakfast. As soon as everyone else woke up, Daryl informed them that he was going back for Merle. Rick tried to tell him they needed him there but he had already made up his mind so Rick let him go. Before he headed off, Em said she'd go with. Layton did not want to be left with all these strangers, but she reassured him everything would be fine. Rick started to protest but then decided it'd be better if she did since Daryl would surely be back if someone else is with him. They grabbed little supplies and headed out after Rick showed how to use a gun properly just in case. Along the way she found herself telling Daryl all about her past, which she hadn't even told Layton who she'd been with for six months. She was shocked at how open she was being and Daryl let her finish what she wanted to share, never interrupting. She revealed that she had a sister and brother and a deadbeat dad before all this broke out but she didn't know what happened to any of them. She also talked about the abuse she grew up with and saw how he reacted ever so slightly to certain aspects, as if he knew from experience the same stuff she was talking about. She tried asking about Merle but he didn't answer. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the prison and found it only occupied by walkers. They walked through the cell blocks and went over every inch of its land calling out for Merle but never found him. Then Daryl saw something and booked it across the yard. Em followed behind and saw quite a few bodies but Daryl clearly didn't find what he was looking for. He suddenly saw something else and went to check it out.


	2. The Return

Daryl noticed a walker leaning over a body having its innards for lunch, but as he approached the walker he started to lose it. Emily watched from afar as Daryl was approached by the walker and then he burst into tears as he shoved it back multiple times. He dropped his bow and took out his knife as he shoved the walker back one last time. He then charged it and pinned it to the ground. Proceeding to stab it in the face repeatedly. Emily counted up to seven before he finally sat back and burst into tears again. She slowly approached him and offered to dig a hole for him, since she realized who that had to of been. He shook his head no and stood, picking his bow up and walking away. She hesitated before quickly following him, they walked in silence for at least thirty minutes before he broke the silence.  
"Let's head west."  
"But isn't camp that way?" She asked pointing north.  
"If we're out we might as well make a supply run. There's a town just past those trees."  
"Daryl, I'm sor-"  
"Don't. Let's just get some food and formula then head back."  
She nodded and followed his lead. It didn't take long to get what they needed and they quickly headed back before nightfall. The group was happy to see them but it was bittersweet because Daryl went straight to Emily's tent and shut himself inside. She alerted the group of what happened and Carol tried to get Daryl to come out or at least let her in, but she got no response. They decided they were going to stay there for one more night and then move on. Rick, Glenn, and Hershel started making a plan while everyone tried to have a normal day. Layton, Carl, and Beth were hanging out by one of the tents while Beth was feeding Judith. Maggie and Carol were trying to get Emily to go with them to find a creek so they could wash clothes for the group, she refused so they went on without her. She went into her tent to grab a couple arrows and to check on Daryl, he was facing away from her so she let him be and went to do some target practice. As night fell everyone huddled around the fire and enjoyed dinner. Daryl still hadn't left the tent so Emily grabbed a portion and saved it for him. Rick started to take watch but Emily insisted, so he let her take it instead. She was alone for almost an hour before Layton joined her. They briefly talked about what happened back at the prison and he asked about Daryl. She simply shook her head so he dropped it. He started rubbing his eyes and she could tell he was tired but he didn't want to leave her. She finally convinced him to go to bed and watched him go. She sat in almost complete silence for a couple hours before another person joined her. She looked over and realized it was Daryl. She made sure he ate the portion she saved for him and then got him to joke around a bit. They continued to sit together for the remainder of the night but Emily did most of the talking, from the plan for tomorrow to just random memories and experiences to lighten the mood. They helped everyone pack up their stuff and then started heading north. The group kept trudging forward but realized they had somehow gotten turned around when they came face to face with the prison. It was getting too dark to head in the originally planned direction so their only decision was to stay there.

Andrea spent the night with the Governor. She knew it was only a matter of time before he went back to the prison and she knew that when he did, he'd kill the entire group which she couldn't let happen. She slipped out of the sheets and retrieved her knife from her clothes on the floor by the end of the bed. After standing beside him for a few moments, she realized she couldn't end it that way. She quickly dressed and snuck out but ran into Milton before she could get out completely. She decided she could confine in him because he, unlike most of the in crowd of Woodbury, still had a conscience. They agreed that it was just a matter of time before he attacked the prison and she made the decision to go warn them. Milton warned her that if she left she wouldn't be allowed back and Andrea decided it was worth it. He promised not to tell the Governor and they parted ways. She made sure no one was looking and then pushed the outer gate open and snuck out. She cautiously made her way to the prison and got there around sunrise. She saw the front gate was down and she quickly headed inside. She couldn't find any of them and began fearing the worst. Around six pm, she had finally made her way to the back of the prison. As she approached she heard muffled voices and moved closer cautiously. She realized it was Rick and the rest of the group as they got closer and she came out of her hiding place. Michonne was the first to see her and quickly rushed over to give her a hug. Andrea quickly noticed people missing but decided to wait to ask. Everyone was happy to see her, but they were also weary about it since something had to be up for her to leave Woodbury. They decided to set up for the night and everyone chose their cell to sleep in. Andrea went over to Carol, who was tending to Judith, and decided to ask about the missing members of the group. She soon wished she hadn't since it wasn't good news and she couldn't tell if she was sadder about Lori's death since Judith and Carl no longer had a mom or Shane due to their brief fling and their plan to leave together back at the farm. After talking with Carol for a bit, she headed over to Rick to try and make peace between the two groups. Rick informed her that they wanted to retaliate but they weren't going to and that they were actually trying to leave when somehow they got turned around and wound up back here. She tried to plead a case of trying to make it work between the two groups but everyone knew that that wasn't an option anymore. She sat down next to Hershel for a bit and they discussed the fact the Andrea wanted to come back to this group but she also didn't want to abandon Woodbury. They agreed that this group is where she belonged but he understood why she was hesitant. He and Michonne headed just outside the fence to dispose of a couple walker corpses that they found inside when they were ambushed. As everyone sat down for dinner Maggie and Beth realized Hershel was missing and then Daryl and Andrea noticed Michonne wasn't back either. They all went outside but there was no sign of them. Upon further investigation, they realized there were footprints leading into the forest. Rick tried to get everyone inside since it was getting too dark to really see much, but Daryl protested and trotted off into the forest to look for them. Suddenly an idea hit Andrea and she realized that the Governor probably realized she was gone and decided to have some revenge on the group. She pulled Rick to the side and brought it to his attention, she also told him her plan. She left soon after their meeting and no one slept that night.

Morning came and Daryl was back empty handed. Rick called for a group meeting after making sure everyone was up. He told them of Andrea's plan and they decided to start taking turns looking out for anyone coming. Before anyone could get into the watchtower, they all heard an explosion at the front of the prison. They all ran out front to find the Governor standing on top of a tank with six other vehicles full of armed Woodbury residents alongside him. He called out to Rick and demanded he came down to talk after pulling Hershel and Michonne out of one of the vehicles. Rick obliged and the talked while Daryl handed guns to everyone just in case things went south. The Governor made it clear that either they left that day before sundown or Hershel and Michonne would be killed. Rick tried to negotiate but that didn't work out and it was evident that a war was about to start, the only question was who was going to make the first move. After Rick's inspirational speech of how everyone can change, the Governor quickly answered that looming question as he called Rick a liar and swung Michonne's katana at Hershel's neck. Everyone broke into gunfire and Rick quickly headed for cover behind the flipped over bus. The Governor tracked Hershel down as he was crawling away and finished his work of decapitating him. Once that was finished he commanded everyone to attack and to kill them all. The tank moved in first and took out the fence and began firing at the building, blowing sections of it up. Rick tackled the Governor and started wailing on him and they proceeded to have a fist fight while everyone else was shooting at each other. The Governor got the upper hand and began choking Rick which was working out in his favor until he felt the katana pierce through the center of his chest and then be torn back out. Michonne got Rick on his feet and they went looking for Carl and the rest of the group in the leftover carnage. 

**A/N**  
I'd like to apologize for the choppy sentences and the flow of this chapter. I wanted to try to keep some of the situations true to the show and I'm failing at making it work the way I want it to. I will hopefully rewrite this chapter soon to where it flows better, but I won't promise anything. I will say that the next chapter is definitely better written though (at least in comparison with this chapter).


End file.
